Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers are underpaid, according to policepay.net, a site that compares police salaries across the USA.Charlotte ranks 139 out of 200 cities and officers are paid eight percent below average. By comparison, Oklahoma City ranks 12 and Nashville 70. Both are paid above the national average.
According to a WCNC article, Charlotte police and firefighters say they are underpaid and want something done about it. The city manager said that is absolutely not the case. Police & Firefighters say they haven’t had a decent pay raise in a decade and it’s time for that to change. It’s a dangerous and courageous job. Few would trade places with a police or firefighters.
Sergeant Randy Hagler is the head of the Charlotte Fraternal Order of Police. Officers have joined forces with firefighters in asking for a five percent pay adjustment across the board and an additional five percent for senior officers."We want to make it clear to the public that we are not asking to be the highest paid. We just want to be in the average. That is all were asking," Hagler said.
City Manager Pam Syfert is the person responsible for recommending what, if any kind of raise police and firefighters will get. Some officers were upset with her because of an e-mail she sent to council members asking them not to meet with them prior to her budget presentation on Monday.Syfert won’t say if she plans to go along with the police and recommendations, but she knows the ramifications if she doesn’t. "I think if my budget doesn’t include those recommendations they (officers and firefighters) will be disappointed," Syfert said.